A new Texas legislative session has started. What are proposed child care, pre-K bills?
Child care and early childhood were among the topics included in the interim charges assigned to lawmakers to study ahead of the legislative session, which began on Tuesday, Jan. 14. Several bills have already been filed, as House and Senate committees began hearing testimony on these topics in the fall before convening in Austin last week.
The passage of some these bills could, for example, impact which families receive priority on the state’s lengthy wait list for a child care subsidy; could incentivize employers to provide on-site child care for employees or incentivize existing child care centers to increase their capacity; or could expand state-funded pre-K to certain children. But the bills have to survive several steps in the legislative process to come to fruition.
The first step is to be referred to a committee in the chamber the bill was introduced, and then be selected by the chair of the committee for consideration once its members meet. Next, an open hearing is held where public testimony is taken and lawmakers can ask questions. Then the committee can vote to send a bill to the rest of the chamber or leave it unaddressed with no further action taken. This is often where bills meet their end, stalling in committee before ever making it to the floor.
The next step depends on whether the bill is in the House or Senate. In short, if and when a bill is taken up by the full House or Senate, it must pass with initial and final approval — two votes total — and be approved by both chambers. Finally, it would go to the governor’s desk after both chambers agree on any changes made to the bill throughout the process.
About 30 bills have been filed as of Friday, Jan. 17 related to child care, pre-K and paid parental leave. Most of the bills have been filed by Democrats with Sen. José Menéndez and Rep. Ray Lopez, both Democrats from San Antonio, currently tied for filing the most so far on these topics — four each.
There are 11 pieces of legislation filed in the House related to child care in tandem with eight Senate bills. Overall, there are eight bills focused on free or reduced-tuition pre-K, and three bills proposing paid parental leave for certain employees. Here’s what they are (some are still being analyzed by the Star-Telegram):
Child care bills & legislation
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB174/2025
Bill title: Relating to the regulation of child care facilities and registered family homes, including the provision of services to children with disabilities or special needs
What it does: Prohibits discrimination on race or disability status by child care centers or registered family homes. A center or home may deny services if it determines it cannot meet the child’s needs based on certain circumstances.
Sponsor: Rep. Mary González (D-Clint)
House Bill 175
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB175/2025
Bill title: Relating to establishing optional certifications for child care providers participating in the Texas Rising Star Program and reimbursement rates for those providers
What it does: Creates optional certifications for child care centers participating in the state’s quality improvement program that would improve their quality ratings and increase their reimbursement amounts by providing services to children with disabilities.
Sponsor: Rep. Mary E. González (D-Clint)
House Bill 194
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB194/2025
Bill title: Relating to the establishment of faith-based child care facilities
What it does: Allows religious organizations to operate faith-based child care facilities that would serve foster youth
Sponsor: Rep. Steve Toth (R-The Woodlands)
House Bill 353
Bill text:https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB353/2025
Bill title: Relating to creating the criminal offense of trespass on or near school or day care center property
What it does: Prohibits a person from being on a school or child care center property or within 250 feet of one if they “pose a substantial risk of harm to any person”; have shown to behave in an inappropriate manner for a school or child care setting; or have failed to leave a property after being asked to leave by an administrator, educator or security officer
Sponsor: Rep. Jared Patterson (R-Frisco)
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB412/2025
Bill title: Relating to health benefit plan coverage for early childhood intervention services
Sponsor: Rep. Ray Lopez (D-San Antonio)
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB460/2025
Bill title: Relating to a study regarding the cost of child care in this state in comparison to family income
What it does: Requires the Texas Workforce Commission to report results of such study by Dec. 15, 2026
Sponsor: Rep. Ray Lopez (D-San Antonio)
House Bill 660
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB660/2025
Bill title: Relating to employee caseload limit goals for child and adult protective services and child care licensing services and call processing goals for certain of those services
What it does: Has state agencies “work toward ensuring that the average caseload” for certain caseworkers does not exceed 10-22 cases at a time depending on the services provided. Child care licensing inspectors should not exceed an average of 64 nonresidential child care facilities or registered family homes at a time.
Sponsor: Rep. Armando Walle (D-Houston)
House Bill 724
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB724/2025
Bill title: Relating to notice of the health of children attending and adults employed by a child care facility
What it does: Allows child care centers to “provide notice” on the percentage of children attending the center and adults employed by the center who are immunized
Sponsor: Rep. Suleman Lalani (D-Sugar Land)
House Bill 1035
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB1035/2025
Bill title: Relating to the criteria for a local option exemption from ad valorem taxation by a county or municipality of all or part of the appraised value of real property used to operate a child care facility
Sponsor: Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin)
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB1568/2025
Bill title: Relating to the placement and use of video recording equipment in certain child care facilities
What it does: Requires child care centers serving children who are 2 years old or younger to have video recording equipment in areas occupied by children in this age range, with recording happening when children are present in those areas. The center must keep video for at least 30 days after it’s recorded. “The center shall retain a video that documents an alleged incident until the alleged incident is resolved, including the exhaustion of all appeals.”
Sponsor: Rep. Ana Hernandez (D-Houston)
Resolution text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HJR78/2025
Bill title: Proposing a constitutional amendment prohibiting the taxation of the sale or use of certain food, drinks, medicine, and child care services
Sponsor: Rep. Richard Raymond (D-Laredo)
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB171/2025
Bill title: Relating to the creation of a lottery game to benefit the child care services program administered by the Texas Workforce Commission
Sponsor: Sen. José Menéndez (D-San Antonio)
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB173/2025
Bill title: Relating to training requirements for and prohibited discrimination by child care facilities and registered family homes
Sponsor: Sen. José Menéndez (D-San Antonio)
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB211/2025
Bill title: Relating to a franchise tax credit for taxable entities that operate an on-site child care center for use by the entity’s employees
What it does: Entitles a taxable entity that runs a child care center exclusively for its employees’ children to a credit of 30% of its net cost to operate the center or 35% of its net cost to operate the center if it’s enrolled in the Texas Rising Star Program.
Sponsor: Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas)
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB462/2025
Bill title: Relating to establishing a child care services waiting list priority for the children of certain child care workers
What it does: Gives children of child care workers priority on waiting lists to receive child care services such as subsidies
Sponsor: Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham)
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB489/2025
Bill title: Relating to a requirement that a person provide or contribute to the cost of child care for the person’s employees in order to be eligible to receive a limitation on the taxable value of the person’s property for school district maintenance and operations ad valorem tax purposes
Sponsor: Sen. Borris Miles (D-Houston), Sen. Carol Alvarado (D-Houston), Sen. Sarah Eckhardt (D-Austin) and Sen. Roland Gutierrez (D-San Antonio)
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB599/2025
Bill title: Relating to the authority of a political subdivision to regulate a licensed child-care facility or registered family home
What it does: Prohibits a political subdivision to require a licensed child care home or registered family home to comply with health and safety standards “that exceed” those already set forth by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
Sponsor: Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas)
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/sponsors/SB654/2025
Bill title: Relating to a franchise tax credit for certain child care centers that increase their capacity to care for children
Sponsor: Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas)
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB738/2025
Bill title: Relating to the use of unclaimed lottery prize money to benefit the child care services program administered by the Texas Workforce Commission
Sponsor: Sen. José Menéndez (D-San Antonio)
Pre-K & paid parental leave bills
House Bill 190
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB190/2025
Bill title: Relating to a grant program to provide free or reduced-tuition pre-K classes to certain children
What it does: Provides grants to pre-K students — in collaboration with the Pre-K 4 SA early childhood initiative — to attend school districts, open-enrollment charter schools and private schools to eligible children
Sponsor: Rep. Ray Lopez (D-San Antonio)
House Bill 225
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB225/2025
Bill title: Relating to a pilot program to provide grants for free or reduced-tuition pre-K classes to certain children
What it does: Provides grants to pre-K students — in collaboration with the Pre-K 4 SA early childhood initiative — to attend school districts, open-enrollment charter schools and private schools in the San Antonio area. Eligible children must be at least 3 years old.
Sponsor: Rep. Ray Lopez (D-San Antonio)
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB358/2025
Bill title: Relating to providing free full-day pre-K for certain children
What it does: Requires districts to offer pre-K to any child who is 4 years old
Sponsor: Rep. John Bucy (D-Austin)
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB494/2025
Bill title: Relating to the eligibility of the children of public school employees for free pre-K programs in public schools
Sponsor: Rep. Vikki Goodwin (D-Austin)
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/HB1048/2025
Bill title: Relating to providing free full-day pre-K for certain children
What it does: Requires districts to offer full-day pre-K to any child who is at least 3 years old
Sponsor: Rep. Salman Bhojani (D-Euless)
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB42/2025
Bill title: Relating to providing free full-day pre-K for certain children
What it does: Expands pre-K to any child who is at least 4 years old and allows certain 3-year-olds to enroll in full-day pre-K. All pre-K classes would be a full day of instruction.
Sponsor: Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo)
Senate Bill 48
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB48/2025
Bill title: Relating to paid leave by certain state employees for the birth or adoption of a child
What it does: Provides paid parental leave to state employees who are part of the Employees Retirement System of Texas or “or is employed by a board, commission, department, or other agency in the executive branch of state government created by the constitution or a statute of this state.”
Sponsor: Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo)
Senate Bill 175
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB175/2025
Bill title: Relating to providing free pre-K for certain children
What it does: Expands pre-K eligibility to any 4-year-old child and requires all children who are this age to be served. Districts “may offer” pre-K classes to any 3-year-old.
Sponsor: Sen. José Menéndez (D-San Antonio)
Bill text: https://legiscan.com/TX/text/SB237/2025
Bill title: Relating to a public school paid parental leave policy, an allotment under the Foundation School Program for the cost of providing paid parental leave under that policy, and the eligibility of certain children for free pre-K programs
What it does: Allows a school district or open-enrollment charter school to adopt a paid parental leave policy for full-time employees. The policy must provide eight consecutive weeks for the primary caregiver of the child or four consecutive weeks for an employee who is the spouse of the primary caregiver. Bill also provides pre-K eligibility to 3-year-olds who meet certain requirements.
Sponsor: Sen. Nathan Johnson (D-Dallas)
Staff writer Eleanor Dearman contributed to this report.
This story was originally published January 21, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
